The City of Boston should turn its battleship of attention to this long-term threat [of universities' forever-deals that ensure institutional permanency but guarantee a loss of neighborhood identity]. Currently, Allston-Brighton teeters on the edge of consumption not from short-term thinking but from apparent lack of interest in the phenomenon.

“I really don’t know the city feels about this,” Theresa Hynes said. “I think that would be interesting, maybe from higher up in the city where policies are made.”

Now it’s time for the system to react. Endorse the college takeover of Allston-Brighton, or reject it, but do not let it happen by default, Boston.